Bhopal, Dec 9 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday wrote to his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik, urging him to ensure well-being of the translocated tigress 'Sundari', currently kept in an enclosure at the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR).

'Sundari' and another tiger were translocated to the STR from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) of Madhya Pradesh in 2018 under the inter-state translocation project.

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In his letter to Patnaik, Chouhan cited media reports claiming 'Sundari' was not being treated as per the guidelines of the Wildlife Act.

"In early 2020, a team of experts from MP visited Satkosia to check the possibilities of shifting 'Sundari' back to Madhya Pradesh. But it was found by experts that releasing 'Sundari' in the wild could be dangerous as she had spent a long time in the enclosure and surrounded by the people," the CM wrote.

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He further said experts suggested shifting the tigress to a larger tiger safari enclosure.

"The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had in principle accorded tiger safaris in Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench reserves. Till the development of these safaris, this tigress is to be kept at Ghorela centre in the Kanha Tiger Reserve. At present, an orphaned cub is being trained before being left in the wild. 'Sundari' will be kept in Ghorela after the cub's release," Chouhan stated.

He requested the Odisha CM to issue necessary directives to officials concerned for ensuring adequate care and providing a suitable environment to 'Sundari' till the Ghorela centre is ready.

'Sundari' was shifted to an enclosure in Satkosia after she killed two persons.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)